Testimonials

Dear Phin,
Celebration returned to home port Annapolis last week. Great sailing after I was returned to sea because of your good work: Booth Bay, Camden, Northwest Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, Newport, and Sag Harbor. All systems functioning very well. The steering is a bit tight but certainly workable and the autopilot handled it well. I intentionally stressed the boat in winds 20-34 knots and seas to 8 feet - no problem. She sails at 9 - 10.5 knots with reduced sail in winds above 20 knots. A good ship! And, my confidence in her is building.

Again, my thanks and David's too. You guys are superstars up there.

We will stay in touch. Let us know if you are ever in the Washington/Annapolis area. We would love to get together for some dinner, good wine, good stories (true or false - doesn't matter) and maybe sailing/motor boating depending upon the season.

Sincerely,
Brendan V. Sullivan Jr.

Dear Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce members,
During the past eight months, my husband and I have had the pleasure of working with the professional staff of Portland yacht Service. We purchased a sailboat last October and P.Y.S. has provided the most expert professional services from our very first handshake. We attended their open house in May 2008and we walked pleasantly amazed at the cordial reception, insightful information and talent that was exhibited at this event. Pride in craftsmanship was also evident.

During these eight months (and August 2008 when the boat was appraised for work by a P.Y.S. specialist) the services we received would be rated at the highest caliber. From the owners, Phineas and Joanna Sprague, the managerial and office staff, the multi-talented craftsmen, the harbor master and dock crew we have received consistent and high quality services. We plan on being anchored with P.Y.S. for many years for both the ongoing restoration of our boat and the superlative dock services.

Portland Yacht Services has created such a formidable boating service that we now call Portland our second home. We thoroughly enjoy patronizing the innumerable businesses provided throughout the city and its surrounding environs. We are both teachers and therefore have the luxury of spending our summers in Portland. Our slip at P.Y.S. provides a splendid microcosmic view of a bountiful and dynamic harbor. We are sharing our praise ofP.Y.S. with each of the boaters we encounter, although P.Y.S.'s reputation of quality workmanship has preceded our testimonies.

If the Portland Chamber has recognition awards, most certainly Portland Yacht Services should be accorded this honor. In the crown of Portland Harbor, Portland yacht Services is undoubtedly the rare jewel that shines in faithful splendor.

Respectfully,
Diane Dupuis and Terrence L Magee

Dear Phin
I am enclosing my a check for my most recent bill, and once again I want to express my appreciation for all that you and your wonderful staff did to make it possible for me to enjoy my boat during July and September.

To Rob Bensen and both Jasons I am particularly grateful, but I appreciate the dedicated service that all the members of your superb organization provide, including the many who have helped me but whose names I cannot always recall.

As always, Joanna provides a wonderful welcome to those entering the office, along with Justine. To all of your staff I send my thanks and best wishes as we look forward to the season of 2009.

Sincerely,
Jim Rose

Dear Portland Yacht Services
I am sending a quick note of praise for the work that Mike Stackhouse and the crew in the Service Department did on my boat. I blew the Cummins engine in my 35' lobster boat, Sound, last September and Mike, Willy, and the rest of the crew worked on her through the fall, winter, spring, and into June. The repowering job required the ability to think outside the box and creatively attack a litany of seemingly unending obstacles and challenges that the tricky job required. As a customer, I was impressed with the way that Mike and the guys all communicated with me through letters, e-mails, visits, and phone calls, and I clearly knew what was happening to my boat and why. I also greatly appreciated the way that they looked out for me by presenting different ways to save costs here and there during the very costly repowering. I had originally selected PYS to do the job because I rented a summer mooring last summer and it was easier to have the work done locally. But now that the boat is finished and performing great, I have already and will continue to recommend Portland Yacht Services to anyone needing a repowering or any kind of boat maintenance. I am very appreciative of all the work and time that they spent on my boat. Thank you.

Respectfully,
Peter W. Bridgford Jr.

Portland Yacht Services — Choosing the Right Boatyard for a Major Refit
I am a Master Mariner and what is euphemistically called today a professional fleet manager. Used to be called an Admiral and as part of the job I arrange for up to 200 vessels of all types to be docked and refitted very two and four years — I also have a yacht which needed a refit. You would think that selecting a boatyard for the yacht would be simple if you are in my profession? No, it's probably worse because I am more aware of the pitfalls!

My key selection criteria are firstly the number and range of skills employed full time and then an assessment of those staff, particularly the team leaders and the yard owner/manager. The only way to do this is to meet with as many of them as you can. Ideally this is done whilst you are going through your work list and are able to pull in the various trades as necessary to discuss the work. With regard to the owner/manager I look for recommendations from my blue water sailing colleagues.

Equally important in terms of the staff make up in the yard is their individual sailing experience. I want people working on my boat that have been out on the ocean and understand how critical their work will be to my safety and well being in an ocean crossing. (My yacht will be crossing the Atlantic shortly).

After a long search and a recommendation from a colleague who is a CCA member and circumnavigated in his yacht I plumbed for Portland Yacht Services. The owner Manager, Phin Sprague is also a CCA member and has more blue water miles under his belt than most. All of the team leaders have extensive deep sea experience under sail and all the key skills are in house as fulltime employees, including electronics, mechanical, GRP and coatings, riggers and carpentry. They are also wonderful characters and as a bonus you get a senior USCG trained engineer who (unusually or an engineer) is also not a bad boat handler, a professional jazz pianist, a qualified light aircraft pilot examiner and a top quality carpenter who is also an apiarist in his spare time.

Having completed a major refit including re-instrument, engine and gearbox rebuild, rewiring and re plumbing most of the yacht as well as soda blasting the hull back to basics and recoating, I have not been disappointed either in the skills, quality of work or the yards similarity to a high maintenance wife. Equally their ability to come up with practical solutions to seemingly intractable problems has been very impressive.

Not only a very professional and competent yard but also great fun to work with and that's also important. It's a people business and that really what it's all about!

John H Bowering
Yacht Osprey